Jun
10
Ambitious do-it-yourself homeowners are known for tackling large home improvement projects, but even the best-intentioned home renovators may find themselves overwhelmed by the surprising complexity of toilet plumbing and installation. Most of the plumbing for a toilet is installed in the floor or walls, making installation complicated and delicate, even for experienced plumbers. If you still feel set on trying out home 
plumbing, a few standard guidelines should set you in the right direction, but keep in mind that all homes are built differently and you may run into problems once you begin your toilet plumbing project.
The first and most important part of plumbing a toilet is establishing a supply pipe. The supply pipe is a 2 in. diameter pipe that enters the toilet through a hole in the floor. Placing the supply pipe is incredibly important and placement is regulated by local building codes. For example, the supply pipe must be positioned so that when the toilet is attached, the center of the bowl will be allotted 15 inches of clearance on either side. Before setting the supply pipe, check with local building codes to ensure that it is properly located. Your local plumber can help you determine you are up to guidelines.
The supply pipe is affixed to a vertical stack pipe via a curved closet pipe and a slope pipe. The angles of these pipes regulated the flow of water into the toilet and the removable of waste from the toilet. Improper installation of these fixtures could lead to serious plumbing problems including leaks and insufficient waste removal. The size of these pipes should be between 2 and 4 inches; incorrect pipe diameters could lead to huge clogs.
The drain pipe that comes through the floor should be fitted with a shut-off valve and a piece of rubber tubing that connects it to the toilet. A flange is a piece of plastic, metal or rubber that is affixed over the hole in the floor to prevent leaking and moisture as well as to ensure a tight seal between the bottom of the toilet and the floor.
To install the toilet, affix the bottom of the toilet with a wax gasket that creates a tight seal with the flange. Lower the bowl onto the flange so that the supply pipe settles into the hole in the bottom of the toilet. Move the bowl back and forth to secure the seal and level the bowl. Bolts secure the bowl to the flange.
The final process in plumbing a toilet is connecting a supply valve from the wall or floor to the toilet tank via the tank’s tubing. The supply line stub should be affixed with a shut off valve before connecting the tube to prevent flood or leaking.
This is not a comprehensive overview of plumbing a toilet. Most homeowners will find that there are several variables that impact toilet plumbing and installation. The only way to guarantee that a toilet plumbing installation job is done correctly and to code is to hire a licensed plumber to complete the job.
May
13
Water Main Leak
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Are you a homeowner that has an unusually high water bill, and know you haven’t increased your water usage significantly over the past month? You may have a water main leak.
In many cases, it may take months to discover you have a problem. It starts out as a slow leak, and escalates over time. But once you discover it, replacing it quickly will ensure you against bigger problems in the future, and help you cut back on your overall water usage.
Because problems usually start out small, its important to watch for the potential signs of an underground leak. They include:
- Unusual wet spots in landscaped areas
- An area that is vibrant green, soft, moldy or mossy, surrounded by drier areas
- A sudden change in landscaping – dead or dying areas, or heavy growth areas can be a sign
- Sinkholes or potholes
- Uneven grades in the floor, landscaping, structure, patio or driveway
Depending on where the water main leak is occurring, and the extent of damage incurred, its important that you find a plumber with extensive knowledge that can help you fix the leak and ensure against future damage. Using today’s top technological tools to locate the exact location of the breakage will prevent excessive digging and looking for the starting point. From there, it’s important to repair the pipes – and eliminate the root cause of the problem.
Mar
12
The news is filled with cases of contractors that take your money, and never provide you with the service you contracted for. So how do you protect yourself against plumbing fraud?
1. Do your research
The quickest way to fall for a plumbing scam is to act quickly. The bigger the project, the more time you should sp
end researching the company you are about to hire. Never hire someone who is selling their services door to door, or who offers a big discount if you act fast and book now. Take a step back and think about your purchase. Does it seem to good to be true? Then research the company. With online tools readily available, you can quickly visit the company’s website, and check out the chatter on Google. Also check for references on local sites like Tom Martino’s troubleshooter network, and check with your local BBB. It’s better to spend a few extra days researching than to lose your money to a scam.
2. Ask for it in writing
A reputable plumbing service will be happy to write up a contract, and give you a guarantee in writing. Be cautious of long term or lifetime promises. Again think realistically. Is there any way a water heater can last a lifetime? If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.
3. Watch for red flags
In the contracting world, its easy to fall prey to a scam artist – the plumbing world is no different. Ask questions up front, and find out exactly how the plumber would react in certain situations.
- Who is in charge of obtaining permits?
- When are payments due?
- How quickly will the work be performed?
- What guarantees exist during and after the process?
The best way to get what you pay for is to be thorough in your investigation ahead of time.
Jan
9
I never realized how much I used my garbage disposal until it quit working after the holidays. Is it time to replace the garbage disposal, or can it be fixed?
It’s funny how we think little of some of the 
appliances in our home, especially the ones we use on a daily basis – until they stop working.
First, how old is your garbage disposal? A typical disposal will last approximately 10 years. If its nearing that age, it may be better to have us install a new one for you, rather than investing in maintenance on something that has little life left.
If your disposal is still fairly new, it may be a number of things.
A faulty switch
A broken or stuck flywheel
Faulty bolts or connections
Clogged lines
Through simple trial and error, we can usually find the problem quickly, and give you an assessment on the right way to proceed.
If you find yourself using your garbage disposal frequently, and with a variety of foods, you may also decide to upgrade and put in a disposal with a larger capacity. They typically range from ¼ to 1 horsepower, with 1 HP being the typical choice for a family home.
Dec
31
As we bring 2009 to a close, and head forward towards 2010, I wanted to share with you our favorite posts here at Quality 1st Plumbing.
Quality 1st Plumbing is the Premier Plumbing Company In Colorado To Go Green
What does it mean to take your plumbing company green? To provide green products, services, tips and solutions! Quality 1st Plumbing is taking their belief in a greener world, and providing every one of you with tips and strategies to help you green up your own environment. Here’s how …
How To Prevent Frozen Water Pipes
After this latest cold spell here in Colorado, many of you may be recovering from the thaw of frozen water pipes.
Ben Franklin said it well with, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Unfortunately that doesn’t mean much when you’re facing water damage and a foot of standing water.
Schedule a Sewer Inspection Before Buying A Used Home
You’ve heard the nightmare stories of homebuyers stuck with the bill of correcting sewer issues. Why not ensure the quality of your sewer system before you move in?
5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Hiring A Plumber
Invariably there comes a day when it makes more sense to call a plumber than to try and fix it yourself. Unless you know a plumber, or have a great referral, how do you know whom to call?
Take a look at these 5 ways to evaluate a plumbing service before you hire them.
Green Approaches To Drain Cleaning
There always seems to be one drain in the house that needs a little more work than the others. So every few weeks you find yourself trying to clear out a backed up drain.
5 Facts About Sump Pumps
1. Basements are most often flooded by water building up in the soil, and overflowing into the basement. A sump pump is placed at the lowest level of the basement, and pumps the water out and away from the home before the water level reaches the basement floor level.
Hot Water Circulation System
When the weather turns cool here in Colorado, some things make your home just a little nicer. A fire in the fireplace. A cozy blanket to snuggle under. And a nice hot shower to warm up in the mornings.
7 Plumbing Tips For Winterizing Your Home
With cold mornings upon us and snow on the way, winter will soon be here. Here are 8 plumbing tips for winterizing your home.
1. Clear water from outside pipes. Now is the time to begin draining outside sprinkler systems. Blow out the pipes to your automatic system. Detach garden hoses and store for the season. Fully insulate any exposed outdoor water fixtures. Fix tiny leaks in the system now so they don’t cause burst pipes and larger problems as the area starts freezing.
How To Clean Up After Your Sewer Backs Up
One of the largest, most unpleasant jobs you can face in your home is clean up after a sewer back up.
Discounts On Water Heaters
Looking to replace your water heater? Want to find discounts on water heaters, and make sure you get the best price possible? Keep these tips in mind.
The average life of a water heater is 10 to 12 years. However, that can be influenced by a variety of things, including use and the style of water heater you have. A reputable plumber should be able to look at your water heater and let you know if it needs replacement.
Dec
3
How To Prevent Pipes Freezing
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Welcome to Colorado! Only here in Denver can you enjoy sunshine and 60 degrees one day, and have it dip down into the single digits the next.
The first cold spell of the season is often the one that catches you off guard, and creates the most havoc. If you weren’t prepared and don’t have your pipes properly insulated, you’re likely to see a leak here in the coming days as we begin to thaw.
When water freezes in a pipe, it expands. If it 
expands enough, the pipe bursts, causing water damage all around the surrounding area. If not caught soon after bursting, it can result in serious damage.
A pipe will typically not break where the ice blockage occurs. Instead, water pressure builds up downstream from the ice blockage, somewhere between the blockage and a closed faucet, causing the pipe to sustain thousands of pounds of pressure. Eventually the pipe bursts under the duress of this much pressure.
While it’s easy for a homeowner to think they are safe if they’ve lived in a home for a while, many changes occur during the course of a year. Maybe you’ve changed or redesigned your basement. Maybe you’ve moved a television, cable, or telephone line, allowing cold air a new route into your home. Or maybe you’ve added to your outdoor landscape, opening up problems with a new pipe. Even simple changes can open the door to potential problems.
Your local plumber is there to help you fix broken pipes if they occur. And they can also help you assess potential situations that are ripe for problems. In many cases insulation, caulking or wraps may be the solution. In other cases it may be rerouting a pipe to another area. Warm air is the key to preventing pipes freezing.
Oct
29
Emergency Plumbing Repair Service
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The toilet is overflowing. A pipe is broken. A drain is backing up.
When any of these are occurring, an emergency plumbing repair service is needed. A professional plumber deals with 
situations that have the potential of turning into a problematic, financial or disastrous error if not dealt with immediately.
What is considered to be an emergency plumbing repair?
- A blocked or broken sewage pipe. It may start with a foul smell coming from the basement drainage system. Or it may be a leak in the yard. Either can lead to messy, costly problems if left untreated.
- A blocked drain. Whether in the bathroom sink or shower, or in the kitchen, both can limit your daily routines.
- A broken or leaking pipe. Water can cause unlimited amount of damage. The quicker its fixed, the easier and less costly the cleanup.
The busiest time for an emergency plumbing repair service is during the holidays when more people are in your home, and you’re using your drains and pipes more frequently. Take special precautions. Limit the amount of food and waste you send down the garbage disposal. Check pipes and faucets for leaks before company arrives.
While you may decide to try and fix some of your emergencies yourself, remember an emergency plumber deals with different types of problems every day. They spend years gaining knowledge and technical expertise in every area of your home, inside and out. They can easily fix in a short period of time what may take you hours or even days to locate and fix.
Ask about their licenses and experience. Ask for recommendations and referrals. Then trust them to do the job you’ve hired them to do. And help you get back to your normal routines quickly.
Oct
15
Home Repair: Frozen Pipes
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The first freeze of the season is always the one that catches you off guard. Especially this year as Colorado temperatures plummeted to the 20’s.
The best way to prevent frozen pipes is to be prepared for the cold before it happens, but when it does catch you off guard, fixing it is your first concern, followed by protecting yourself from further incidents.
Frozen water pipes put your home at risk during unexpected cold spells. When water freezes in a pipe, it expands to as much as 2000 pounds of pressure per square inch. With no other place to go, this pressure causes the pipe to rupture, allowing water to continue to spill until it is 
turned off. If you aren’t at home and don’t notice it for several hours or more, that can add hundreds of gallons of water to your surrounding landscape, or build up on the floor in your home.
While the most at-risk place this time of year is your hoses, outside water spickets, and sprinkler system, freezing pipes can also occur to pipes along outside walls, under sinks on an outside wall, or in unheated crawlspaces or basements.
Unthawing Frozen Pipes
While some pipes may burst under pressure, others may remain frozen if the weather conditions remain constant. If you find a frozen pipe before it bursts, there are things you can do to unthaw the pipe, and protect the surrounding area from water damage.
Start by opening up the faucet supplied by the frozen pipe. This will help alleviate pressure. Identify which pipe is frozen, and locate the area of blockage. In many cases frozen pipes will be frosted, or have ice covering it. They may also be slightly bulged where the ice is building. Then heat the pipe, starting at the faucet and working down towards the frozen pipe. This will allow water to flow out the faucet as it unthaws, as opposed to backing up into the system, increasing the risk for bursting.
Oct
1
Winterization Checklist
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The first freeze of the season may not put your home at risk for damage, but it should be a sign 
that its time to start thinking about winter. Use this winterization checklist to make sure your home is in top shape before the temperatures dip even further.
One of the most common problems during the winter months is burst pipes caused from the freezing cold. If you have any exposed water or drainage pipes in uninsulated areas such as outside walls, crawlspaces or attic, make sure you insulate them. Even if they have survived past winters, different conditions bring about different reactions. Use insulation covers and wraps to seal out the cold.
Also make sure you check pipes and faucets inside and out. Exterior faucets need to have the water supply turned off inside the house, and drain water thoroughly before sealing up for the winter. Remember to disconnect your garden hoses from the sill cocks or outside faucets and drain thoroughly especially if you store outside or in uninsulated garage or sheds.
Don’t forget to include your sprinkler system in the winterization process. Have your sprinkler system winterized no later than the end of October to prevent exposure to freezing conditions. Turn off the water supply and blow compressed air through the sprinkler lines to prevent the lines from freezing and bursting.
Even though you will be turning off sprinkler systems and draining hoses, don’t forget your landscape over the coming months. Plants, trees and shrubs still need water during the winter months if it remains dry. Even though plants slow down their growing process in the cold, they still reach out for a water supply. If you don’t provide it at the roots, the roots will spread out looking for water. And they may find it in your main water supply line, or in your sewage line, causing fractures and bursts that can be expensive problems down the road.
Sep
10
One of a homeowners worst nightmares is a broken or backed up water main. Even though the problem needs to be handled quickly, the thought of destroying mature landscape and have days of holes and trenches all over the yard can be daunting at best.
But thanks to technology, there is an alternative. A Trenchless Water Main Replacement System is a process that allows the replacement of existing pipe without having to dig a trench, and therefore will not have an impact on your homes landscaping, including patios, decks, walkways, or driveways. The trenchless system can be used to replace a variety of piping, including your water, sewage and gas lines.
The pipe used in the trenchless system is made of a strong polyethylene that is virtually root and chemical proof. It has a life expectancy of well over 100 years, and is quickly becoming the standard in all underground piping installations. The piping is seamed to fit on the job site, and is pulled into place underground using trenchless technology. Plus the benefits to you as a homeowner are many:
- Quick Installation – a normal project can easily be completed in just a day or two.
- Cost Effective – replace the broken or backed up pipe instead of having to replace landscaping too.
- Strong – because of its strong construction and seamless design, it’s a great way to guard against future problems.
Check with your local plumber to learn more about your options when replacing old pipes.
With a trenchless system, the old pipe is located and prepped for replacement. Both ends – the beginning and ending pipe or the problem area – are found and cut. The polyethylene pipe is laid out and seamed together to create the correct length. A cable is used to snake through the pipe, and lead the new pipe through the existing pipe, breaking away the old. As a trained technician, your plumber will ensure the entire process occurs smoothly, and corrects the original problem.
Blogroll
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- WaterSense